How much guidance (or micromanagement) to give nanny about her interactions with almost toddler?

[Anonymous]

Enroll them in music together and ask nanny to play the cds at home during playtime. Ask nanny to read books to DC at least 20 minutes per day (if DC won't sit still, just read anyway so that she hears the language).

[Anonymous]

Nanny should quit because you are a major PITA.

[Anonymous]

I'm a nanny. I hated hated working with a WAHM. Have you ever thought that it might make her feel weird to know you're listening to everything she does?? It use to drive me bananas. The worst was naps. My charge would fuss about naps sometimes and id be in the middle of rocking him and she would barge in there to take over. For Christ sake. She would always give in and let the baby stay up and then he was terrible for the rest of the day. The she would be ANNOYED that the baby was fussy. How about you work instead of annoy your nanny. Buy some musical CDs for them or put on Pandora on the kids channel. You fucking suck.

[Anonymous]

If you want more music in your child's life, enroll them in a local toddler music class. If you want your nanny to learn more songs, buy those kids books with accompanying CDs and use them with your child - she will love them and will want the nanny to play them too (that's how I relearned all the songs I had forgotten since I was 4). Please do not do not say anything to your nanny unless you want her to quit or you want serious tension in the house. This is the definition of micromanaging and my answer to your thread title is "none." If your nanny needs to be micromanaged then you need a new nanny. But she probably doesn't and you've just found something new to worry about doing wrong - relax. Seriously. Your kid is going to be fine and you should have the door closed so you can focus on your work.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everyone who says enroll them in Music Together or Musickids. That will expose your child to more music, give her a larger repertoire, and get them out of the house.

Music is not her strength, obviously, but she's trying. If you told me she also only reads one or two books, and never comes up with activities for them to do, or puts on the tv all the time, I'd say she just isn't a good nanny. But in this case, I think you've just found a weak spot.

What's your weak spot? If you had baby full time, would you be equally good at reading, singing, art projects, active play, scheduling, feeding/cooking, pretend play, sports? We all have our strengths as parents and as nannies. If music is really important to you, and she's not good at it, provide that another way.

[Anonymous]

Do these WFHM have work to do or not....seriously either they are in this site or bugging their nannies.

[Anonymous]

If music is a priority (and what's driving you crazy!) maybe buy some children's music CD's and let your nanny know that you bought them, how to use the CD player, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a WAHM with a FT nanny for our 11 month old daughter. Because I'm home most of the time, I know it's easier for me to see and therefore be critical of the nanny compared to other working parents. I try to take a step back and remember this and I managed to be quite happy with how the former nanny interacted with our daughter. She sang and talked to her all the time and was always teaching her new things. A new nanny just started with us and she is very sweet and playful and is always talking and playing with our baby. But I have a few issues:

1. I find her communications to be really limited and repetitive. For example, she sings the same three songs, "Twinkle Little Star," "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Happy Birthday..." even though it's not my daughter's birthday! I think she sings Happy Birthday because she doesn't know other songs. Would it be all right for me to suggest to the nanny that she learn and sing other songs to my daughter? Her verbal interactions are also limited. I know it's hard to be varied communicating with a baby that doesn't talk back, it takes effort, but I do it and her former nanny did it, too. Would it be okay for me to suggest that she try to find more things to say to my daughter so she's using a greater variety of words? And how can I make the suggestion in a way that will help her work on this? For example, make my suggestion less conceptual and more concrete.

2. When the nanny sings, she sometimes will play one of my daughter's play instruments, e.g., piano, but not the actual melody, just random keys. It sounds terrible and it even makes her singing more off-key. I know good music can benefit children, but maybe bad music can hurt them...? I'm only half-joking, I do wonder if all that dissonant random cr*p she plays grates on my daughter, maybe subconsciously. Goodness knows it grates on my nerves! Not to mention it distracts me when I'm trying to work. Would it be rude to tell the nanny that while it's okay for her to play the instrument a little to encourage my daughter to play, that she should not keep playing? And that if she knows how to play melodies, she's welcome to, but not to play randomly?

I know I sound like a Type-A crazy mom and yes, I am! I do try to be a nice employer, which is why I'm here to get advice from more reasonable people than myself!

Is this a serious post?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a WAHM with a FT nanny for our 11 month old daughter. Because I'm home most of the time, I know it's easier for me to see and therefore be critical of the nanny compared to other working parents. I try to take a step back and remember this and I managed to be quite happy with how the former nanny interacted with our daughter. She sang and talked to her all the time and was always teaching her new things. A new nanny just started with us and she is very sweet and playful and is always talking and playing with our baby. But I have a few issues:

1. I find her communications to be really limited and repetitive. For example, she sings the same three songs, "Twinkle Little Star," "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Happy Birthday..." even though it's not my daughter's birthday! I think she sings Happy Birthday because she doesn't know other songs. Would it be all right for me to suggest to the nanny that she learn and sing other songs to my daughter? Her verbal interactions are also limited. I know it's hard to be varied communicating with a baby that doesn't talk back, it takes effort, but I do it and her former nanny did it, too. Would it be okay for me to suggest that she try to find more things to say to my daughter so she's using a greater variety of words? And how can I make the suggestion in a way that will help her work on this? For example, make my suggestion less conceptual and more concrete.

2. When the nanny sings, she sometimes will play one of my daughter's play instruments, e.g., piano, but not the actual melody, just random keys. It sounds terrible and it even makes her singing more off-key. I know good music can benefit children, but maybe bad music can hurt them...? I'm only half-joking, I do wonder if all that dissonant random cr*p she plays grates on my daughter, maybe subconsciously. Goodness knows it grates on my nerves! Not to mention it distracts me when I'm trying to work. Would it be rude to tell the nanny that while it's okay for her to play the instrument a little to encourage my daughter to play, that she should not keep playing? And that if she knows how to play melodies, she's welcome to, but not to play randomly?

I know I sound like a Type-A crazy mom and yes, I am! I do try to be a nice employer, which is why I'm here to get advice from more reasonable people than myself!

This must be April Fool joke right?

[Anonymous]

#2 is easy to fix. Hide the piano. #1 can be harder to fix.
I am an introvert who speaks few words. I found it pretty challenging to speak to my infant for hours a day, even two hours worth of talking (added all up). Despite knowing the benefits, despite wanting the best for my child, it was just too draining for me.